SLF’s biannual vaccination drive covered 19 villages along seven valleys in Upper and Lower Chitral, addressing the seasonal health needs of livestock in these mountain communities.
The campaign focused on the preventive treatment of critical livestock diseases that pose serious threats to livestock and rural livelihoods. Key vaccines administered during this round included Enterotoxemia (ETV), Black Quarter (BQV), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP).
This vaccination program is uniquely community-driven, responding directly to the expressed needs and requests of Snow Leopard Conservation Organization (SLCO) members. By aligning with local priorities, SLF has ensured a responsive and need-based approach to veterinary support.
Livestock are a cornerstone of rural life in Chitral, playing a vital role in ensuring food security, generating income and providing agricultural labor. However, outbreaks of diseases like FMD and BQV can severely undermine these benefits by:
- Reducing milk and meat production
- Impairing animal growth and reproduction
- Causing livestock mortality
- Restricting market access due to disease-related quarantines
Vaccination remains a cost-effective and sustainable solution to counter these challenges. Through this initiative, we are supporting our community partners to:
- Prevent disease outbreaks and livestock loss
- Boost animal productivity, enhancing household income
- Reduce antibiotic use, contributing to antimicrobial resistance control
- Promote food security through a stable supply of animal products
- Build resilience of vulnerable households against animal health shocks
- Strengthen human-wildlife coexistence by minimizing disease transmission risks
The second round of vaccinations will be held later in the year. The team will also continue to organize awareness sessions focused on livestock management, disease prevention, and community-led solutions to veterinary challenges.
“Healthy livestock herds are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems and boosting the livelihoods of the mountain communities. The biannual vaccination drives launched under our Ecosystem Health Program ensure peaceful coexistence between agropastoral communities and predators in Pakistan’s high mountains. By safeguarding rural incomes, we help secure a future for both people and Pakistan’s iconic mountain wildlife.” – Dr. Jaffar Ud Din, Deputy Director, SLF
Protecting livestock from disease creates conditions where communities can better tolerate the presence of snow leopards and demonstrates how conservation success depends on supporting the people who live alongside wildlife every day.
This story first appeared in the May issue of Peaks’ Whisper.
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Photo credits: SLF-Pakistan
Acknowledgments: We appreciate the valuable support and collaboration of the SLF program site communities, the Wildlife Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Livestock Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in facilitating the successful implementation of the vaccination drive.